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Page 396
it would be unwise to cast two days of success for Ian into John's teeth. It was just as well they made that decision, because Ian did not even wait to hear the results. As soon as the trumpets sounded the end of battle, he rode off the field and directly to his house without even stopping to tell his squires.
Behind him he left consternation. Owain and Geoffrey had come with Alinor. They saw their master ride off at a spanking pace and had no idea whether to follow him or wait upon his lady. If they left her to come home alone, he would slay them; if her vassals were to accompany her, however, it was their duty to follow Lord Ian. Worse still, if he wanted service and no one was at hand, there would be trouble. Before they could even discuss the matter, a number of bruised and bedraggled combatants were converging on Ian's colors to render up their pledges for horse and armor ransom. The situation was one neither squire had ever faced before. Was it their duty to take the pledges? How should they explain their lord's absence?
Salvation came to them. As welcome as the Mother of Heaven, Lady Alinor rode up just ahead of the slower, more reluctant, defeated knights. A swift question and a frightened answer made the situation all too clear to Alinor. He had gone off to tell his lady he was aliveso delicate a lady, too refined to gird her spirit to see her love die, if that was what was needful. Alinor's face was set like marble, her eyes and smile as blank and empty as any statue when she greeted Ian's defeated opponents. To each man she apologized for Ian's absence, pleading some urgent and unexpected business and begging that they do them the favor of calling at their house on the next day.
No one believed her; that was not important. No one took offense, either. Several men expressed sorrow that Ian had come to grief and offered any help they were able to give. These offers Alinor rejected graciously and ambiguously, never denying that Ian was hurt and never

 
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